Konstantinos Filippakos, left, and Parviz Alam discuss what they need to do to make their robot better during an after-school work day for the Team 5150 robotics at Danbury High School on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. less

Konstantinos Filippakos, left, and Parviz Alam discuss what they need to do to make their robot better during an after-school work day for the Team 5150 robotics at Danbury High School on Thursday, Nov. 15, ... more

HARTFORD -- As Connecticut grapples with its latest budget deficit, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Wednesday ordered $170 million in spending cuts that will affect just about everyone, especially the poor and those most in need.

The order includes a $63 million reduction in social service programs, such as mental health and addiction services, assistance to families and the Department of Children and Family Services.

None of the reductions announced involves cuts in salaries for the governor or his commissioners, said Andrew Doba, Malloy's spokesman.

Doba said the governor understands the "symbolic" message those types of cuts can represent, but pointed out that his office is already operating with far less funding than previous administrations.

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Budget cuts at a glance
Here are some of the budget cuts ordered by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Wednesday to help fill a $365 million hole in this year's $20 billion state budget:
Department of Social Services: $32.2 million
Board of Regents for Higher Education: $18.3 million
Department of Children and Families: $18.3 million
University of Connecticut: $10.3 million
Department of Education: $8.4 million
Mental Health and Addiction Services: $7.7 million
Temporary Assistance to Families: $5.3 million
Cuts to local agencies include:
Stamford Center for the Arts: $15,148
Bridgeport's Discovery Museum: $15,148
Derby's Fire Training Program: $1,856

"The sluggish national economy is part of the equation," Barnes said. "Revenue hasn't recovered, as it has in the past when Connecticut was working to climb out of a recession. The demand for services, particularly Medicaid, remains higher than expected. But we have faced larger challenges than this and done so responsibly. Nothing on that front has changed."

Closer to home, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport lost more than $14,000 and the Discovery Museum lost over $15,000. State funding for the Stamford Center for the Arts also was reduced by $15,000, and money for firemen training schools in Stamford, Fairfield and Derby was slashed by thousands of dollars.

Republican leaders Wednesday offered some praise for Malloy's cuts while predicting that more reductions are coming as the General Assembly and the governor work to reduce an immediate $365 million deficit in the state's $20 billion budget and a projected $1.1 billion deficit for the next fiscal year, which begins in July 2013.

Both Republicans and Democrats conceded the $170 million in cuts actually amount to about $123 million in savings, partly because of previous spending cutbacks and reductions in federal funding.

"But it looks like these are real reductions to spending and it's an important start -- but it's just that, a start," said Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield.

"We are still looking at $250 million in spending reductions this year," McKinney said. "It could be $2 billion for the next two years. There is a lot of work left to do."

McKinney said he is taking Malloy at his word that the governor will not seek to again raise taxes.

"Making cuts like these is never easy," said Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney. "However, given the current shortfall, they were unfortunately necessary in order to bring our budget into balance."

"Just as we did two years ago, when we worked to erase a $3.65 billion structural deficit, we are committed to working with Gov. Malloy to reduce spending and make the difficult but essential choices necessary to balance the state's budget before the New Year," Looney said.

The budget cuts for Executive Branch agencies total $161,694,693 and fall within the governor's authority to reduce spending without General Assembly approval. Legislative leaders agreed to $3 million in cuts and the Judicial Branch agreed to $5.75 million in reductions.

McKinney said Malloy's budget deal two years ago, which contained the highest tax increase in state history along with big concessions from union workers, was based on a guarantee that there would be no layoffs for four years. If payroll reductions are off the table, McKinney said cutbacks will have to come from places like social service programs because that's where there is money to cut.

"I'm hopeful the difficult decisions the governor made today is a signal that he understands the path we have taken is not working. Union concessions are a difficult discussion, but one that we have to have. We can have a balanced budget without raising taxes," McKinney said.

Asked about cuts in social service programs, Doba said all departments with a deficit were asked to reduce spending. "We don't like any of this," he said.

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"Many of these cuts are very difficult to make, especially now when so many residents continue to struggle in a tough economy," Barnes said. "But as painful as they are, cuts are necessary to keep this year's budget in balance. State government needs to live within its means. And we should all remember that as difficult as some of these reductions are to make now, there are more, even tougher choices ahead."

Barnes pointed out that had the economic recovery been similar to the 2003 recovery, revenue from income and sales taxes would be $725 million higher. Several other states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, now have similar shortfalls, he said.